Greetings all. So far we've had a lot of urban legends, hearsay, and links to pop sources, none of which is acceptable in this sub. Just a reminder to potential respondents to review the rules for answers before posting; here's a relevant excerpt:

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Masters in Celtic studies checking in. The term has many theorised origins but isn't set in stone as belonging to one group. It also may not have been directly related to phenitype , in some cases it may have referred to the dark purposes of the invaders. I assume more qualified people will check in but if not I can cite some specific textbooks. Online, [this site] (http://www.ireland-information.com/articles/blackirish.htm) has some good info. The tl:dr of it is ‘the theory that the 'Black Irish' are descendants of any small foreign group that integrated with the Irish and survived, is unlikely. It seems more likely that 'Black Irish' is a descriptive term rather than an inherited characteristic that has been applied to various categories of Irish people over the centuries. '